Akhilesh “opened gate of corruption”: Minister

Uttar Pradesh Energy Minister Shrikant Sharma launched a scathing attack on the opposition Congress and Samajwadi Party, saying that it was shameful for leaders of parties notorious for corruption to comment on the Yogi Adityanath government.

Sharma on Sunday said the state government was working with zero tolerance policy towards corruption.
He said Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should ponder over the actions of her family and party before commenting on the government headed by a mahant (monk).

He also accused the previous Akhilesh Yadav dispensation of “opening the gate of corruption” by taking the “dubious” decision of investing part of the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) employees’ provident fund in DHFL.
Both the leaders have criticised the UP government over the “scam” involving investment of provident fund of UPPCL employees in non-banking finance companies.

“Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav should have done his homework before pointing fingers at the present state government. The gate to this scam was opened by his government. Akhilesh Yadav must not lose sight of the fact that he is living in a glass house and does not have the liberty of throwing stones on others. He should not speak without doing the minimum required home work,” Sharma said at a press conference in the state capital on Sunday.

The UP Energy Minister said that Akhilesh Yadav was steeped in corruption. “Mining scam took place during his tenure. The CBI is investigating it on the order of the (Allahabad) High Court,” he said.
Referring to Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati as ‘Bua’, Sharma said Akhilesh Yadav “covered up” the statue scam of “Bua”.

“Both of them were involved in the matter. Bua is guilty in the pink stone scam, but Akhilesh is also guilty as he did not order probe into the scam after forming the government in UP,” he said.

The Energy Minister said the script of this scam was written in 2014. Sharma said: “During the Akhilesh Yadav’s regime on April 21, 2014, it was decided that if there are options of getting more interest, the amount of EPF and GPF (general provident fund) can be invested there (DHFL).”

“By taking this decision, the gates of corruption were opened (during the SP regime),” the minister said.
“The process of investment was carried forward in 2016 and, on December 17, 2016, the trust’s secretary (Gupta) and UPPCL’s finance director (Dwivedi) were authorised for this,” he said. “After this, from March 2017, the process of investment of the EPF money in DHFL began.”

According to Sharma, UPPCL Director (Finance) Sudhanshu Dwivedi and then secretary of the state power employees trust and UPPCL provident fund trust, Praveen Kumar Gupta, began the actual investment in the DHFL from March 2017 without bringing the matter to the knowledge of the power utility’s Managing Director.

Sharma said the two officials began investing the UPPCL’s EPF in the Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Ltd (DHFL) despite a clearance to deposit the money for a fixed period in the Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Gupta and Dwivedi have already been arrested and an FIR was registered at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow.

Raising question over the issue, the Energy Minister said if all this was happening at the behest of Akhilesh Yadav had he not given freedom for loot?
“The SP president must answer this question,” he said.

Sharma said the UPPCL provident fund trust decided to invest over Rs 2,600 crore in DHFL during the tenure of Akhilesh Yadav itself.

Targeting Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Energy Minister said, “It is ironical to see the leader of a party which is synonymous and notorious for corruption raising question on Yogi Adityanath government’.

He added, “It is ironical and shameful that these leaders are commenting on BJP government which is stridently pursuing the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption’’.

Congress general secretary incharge UP, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had on Saturday questioned the role of UP government in the scam.

In a tweet, she said, “The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh invested the money from the provident fund of the state`s power corporation personnel in a defaulting company like DHFL. Whose interest was to be served by investing more than Rs 2,000 crore of the employees` hard earned money in such a company? Is it justified to play with the future of the employees?”

According to the Energy Minister, the UPPCL Chairman had received an anonymous complaint on July 10, 2019 following which a probe was ordered on July 12, 2019 into the matter. It was headed by Director, Finance. The report was presented by the inquiry committee on August 29, 2019, confirming serious financial irregularities. On October 1, 2019, the vigilance wing of UP Power Corporation was directed to investigate the matter in detail.

On October 10, 2019, the then secretary of the PF Trust, PK Gupta, was suspended and departmental inquiry was ordered. Based on the recommendation of the vigilance wing, it was decided to register a criminal case in the matter. On November 2, 2019, the case was registered by Hazratganj police under relevant sections.
Sharma said the Yogi Adityanath government took immediate action and sent the culprits to jail. “Such quick action was never taken during the Akhilesh or Mayawati regimes,” he added.

The Energy Minister said the government would ensure that the UPPCL employees and officials got their money back. “Till the time the CBI starts investigating the case, DG (Economic Offences Wing) RP Singh will investigate the matter. The CBI probe will be for the entire episode and none involved in the matter will be spared. The Yogi government does not wait for an incident, but it sends the criminals behind bars soon after getting the information,” he said.

In a questionable decision, state-owned UP Power Corporation Limited has invested its employees` provident fund worth over Rs 2,600 crore with Mumbai-based Dewan Housing Finance Corporation Limited (DHFL), whose promoters were recently grilled by the Enforcement Directorate for their alleged links with a front company of late Iqbal Mirchi, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.